Clean Hands does not consider Corvo Attano to have killed someone if a person is killed by someone other than Corvo. For instance, if naturally-occurring rats kill a City Watch Guard, it is not considered a kill, but using Devouring Swarm to kill a guard does count as a kill. Similarly, deaths resulting from a fight between guards and weepers, or thugs, are not counted as kills. Unconscious characters killed by naturally-occuring rat swarms do not count against this achievement[1], but unconscious characters killed by other means (e.g., falling from heights) are considered killed by Corvo, and do prevent the achievement. Also noteworthy, the two weepers appearing at the Hound Pits at the beginning of the mission House of Pleasure do count towards this achievement.

In Dishonored 2, a character killed whilst in a chokehold counts as a kill. Killing Paolo during the mission The Clockwork Mansion will not count as a kill, nor does killing him once during the mission Dust District.

Also, should a decapitated Clockwork Soldier, where it is unable to distinguish between friend and foe, kills someone, it is counted as a kill. Not to mention that if someone dies of an accident whilst linked to another person with Domino, that other person's death is counted as a kill.